


Just A Sprinkle Of Prevention

by TwistedViolets



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Christmas, Fluff, Grace is a good mother, Reginald Hargreeves' A+ Parenting, Reginald POV, terrible christmas gifts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-02
Updated: 2020-02-02
Packaged: 2021-02-27 19:20:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22520899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TwistedViolets/pseuds/TwistedViolets
Summary: "Dad?" The child called to him in that squeaky tone Reginald just can't stand. So he ignores it, hoping to discourage the behavior. Unfortunately human children shake such things off rather easily."What are you doing?" Seven asked with a small, sweet whisper. She stood in the doorway with widening eyes as she looked upon him.He simply placed his finger against his lips and shushes. "This is our little secret..."Seven blinks a few times before giving him a nod.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 67





	Just A Sprinkle Of Prevention

**Author's Note:**

> I’ve been so swamped at work lately, sorry! Anyway this is a work I made for Christmas but hated so much I never uploaded it but I finally decided to since I don’t have much else to upload. I can’t write Reggie to save my life so try not to get blinded!
> 
> This hasn’t really been typo checked yet but I’ll get there eventually.

He gingerly placed each present underneath the tree, he bought each one personally and Grace volunteered to wrap them. It wasn't exactly his idea after all the children had lived thirteen years without a Christmas but he was forced into it by this thing called reverse psychology.

_”The children have begun to talk about a Santa Claus.." Grace had told him one night, while she knitted a sweater. "Wouldn't it be wonderful if we gave them one?" She went on and on about this holiday named Christmas and this and that. It all meant very little to him and he hadn't been listening, not fully anyway. But he did notice the important part, the fact that she had brought this up at all meant she was evolving as he intended her to, after all this wasn't in her original code._

_So he gave her a nod. Only this once he'd do this if only to reinforce the idea that evolving is good._

The gifts weren't much, he wasn't entirely sure what the fuss was about the holiday nor did he intend to. As long as the basic procedure was followed that's all that's important. Buy gifts, wrap them, and give them away. It seems basic and rather odd but it happens every year nonetheless.

A creak echoed behind him and he sighed. Nothing was ever easy, was it? He looked through the archway and saw Seven, holding an empty glass, and staring at him in horror.

"Dad?" The child called to him in that squeaky tone Reginald just can't stand. So he ignores it, hoping to discourage the behavior. Unfortunately, human children shake such things off rather easily.

"What are you doing?" Seven asked with a small, sweet whisper. She stood in the doorway with widening eyes as she looked upon him.

He simply placed his finger against his lips and shushes. "This is our little secret..."

Seven blinks a few times before giving him a nod. She walks away and he briefly hears her filling up her glass with water.

He sits there on the floor, staring at presents and feeling utterly silly. This is stupid, his fingertips twitch and he has the urge to throw out all the presents and the tree and then call it a day. Yet, he doesn't, only because he's too stubborn to admit he regrets it.

No this is just a mistake he will not repeat again.

————————————————————

The children seem happy and as much as he wants to like it he can't. It just keeps reminding him of how much time they are wasting so he just ends up tapping his fingers along his cane in an attempt to keep his bundle of nerves together.

One shakes the green and red striped box labeled 'One' before opening it. Inside contains a bunch of miscellaneous records which the child's face lights up upon seeing.

Three is disheartened at her lumpy green present and she opens it with a frown on her lips. It turns to a smile as she pulls out a pink sparkly dress, one that under no circumstances will she be allowed to wear outside the comfort of her room.

Two got a few new blades which he seems happy about. But he looks towards One and Threes gifts with longing although he doesn't voice any distaste.

Four shakes his box and even puts it up to his ear to hear the clicking and clinging of it. Then he opens, biting his lip and looking away before taking a breath and reaching his hand inside. He pulls out his gift, or gifts. He pulls out quarters that all melt off his hand and fall back into the box like a waterfall. Four smiles at the money that his fingers swim through.

Five gets a few books on time travel theory and he's more than happy about them. He's been wanting to do so for a while and although he is not even close to being ready, encouraging him isn't a bad idea in moderation.

Six gets books too and he seems content with them although he's read plenty. He never seems to get sick of them which is a good trait Reginald supposes. Expanding your vocabulary can never be bad.

Then there's little Number Seven who has the smallest present. Just a small little box and she opens it with a sweet, forced smile, and that smile only becomes faker when she pulls out her gift. It's a new bow for her violin because the other one was beginning to fray. Although he highly doubted she'll use this one because the other one has sentimental value to her.

"Thank you," Seven is the first to say those words even though she's the most disappointed. Which she has no right to be, or any of them for that matter, because he didn't have to do this. He chose to do it for reasons he will not explain to a child who can't appreciate science.

"Thank you," the other children mumble their thanks too and he just gives a simple nod. 

Their lack of respect for the bigger picture always drives him up the wall. Then again they are children and he can only hope they soon grow out of this phase and no about of his teaching will help with that. 

It's simple maturation.

Someday they'll look back and really appreciate his hard work. He made himself feel silly and nonsensical for their amusement. Even if he disguised it as a simple matter of improving Grace's AI.

Grace smiles from the archway with her hands across her chest lovingly. She adores the smiles of the children and craves their warmth. She had become a good mother figure, a little too daunting, but that can always be changed if it becomes too much.

But for right now, at this very moment, it's just enough and he can't help but be content on this. The situation, this life he's choosing to live. 

He is satisfied.


End file.
